of new haven



T. C. JOHNSON.

BOLT ACTION GUN.

APPLICAYTION FILED Aue.9.1919.

Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

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T. C. JOHNSON BOLT ACTION'GUN.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-9| I919- v Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

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ni ma-m? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS C. JOHNSON, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 WINCHESTERREPEATING ARMS C0., OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION.

BOLT-ACTION GUN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented NOV. 18, 1919.

Application filed August 9, 1919. Serial No. 316,424.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS C. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State ofConnecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Bolt-ActionGuns; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings and the characters of reference markedthereon, to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the same, andwhich said drawings constitute part of this application, and

Figure 1, is a broken view partly in vertical longitudinal section, andpartly in right hand side elevation of a bolt-action gun constructed inaccordance with my invention, showing the bolt in its closed and cockedposition. I

Fig. 2, is a corresponding view showing the depression of the sear by anexcess movement of the trigger into the position in which it permits thewithdrawal of the bolt.

Fig. 3, is a detached view in side elevation of the trigger.

Fig. 4, is an edge view thereof.

Fig. 5, is a detached view in side elevation of the sear.

Fig. 6, is a plan view thereof.

My invention relates to an improvement in bolt-action guns, the objectbeing to provide simple and convenient means whereby the bolt may bewithdrawn from the gun to permit the gun barrel to be cleaned from therear of the gun.

WVith these ends in view, my invention consists in a bolt-action gunhaving a trigger adapted at its upper end to release the firingmechanism of the gun and its lower end to withdraw the bolt-stopmechanism thereof to permit the bolt to be removed therefrom.

My invention further consists in a boltaction gun having certain detailsof construction and combinations of parts as will be hereinafterdescribed and pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my invention as herein shown, the trigger 2 has thefinger-bow 3 at its lower end extended downward through a slot 4: in aplate 5 forming a part of the trigger-guard 6 and interposed between theends thereof and the lower face of the stock 7 to which the plate 5 andguard 6 are secured by wood screws 8, the parts just described beingpositioned and proportioned so that when the trigger is retracted beyondits customary firing-pin-release position,

hungupon a pivot 16 passing transversely through the forward end of theslot 14. At its rear end the sear has an upstanding lug 17, the rearcorner of which forms the searnose 18, while its forward edge is shapedto form a bolt-stop 19, which normally prevents the withdrawal of thebolt from the receiver. The sear-nose 18 co -acts with a sear-notch 20in the lower face ofthe firingpin 21, which is installed in the bolt 22,the firing pin also having as shown, a clearancenotch 23 for the upperend of the upstanding sear-lug 17. At its extreme forward end, the searis formed with a depending arm having a hole 24; receiving a helicalsear-spring 25 the upper end of which impinges against the lower face ofthe receiver 15. The upper edge of the trigger extends slightly abovethe slot 11 in the sear 12, and is formed with a cam 26 which hascamming action upon the lower face of the bolt 22 for releasing thefiring-pin 21; Normally the upstanding sear-lug 17 rises into thesearclearance slot 27 in the lower face of the bolt 22. Normally, also,the forward wall 28 of the slot 27 engages .with the bolt stop 19 of thesear-lug 17 to prevent the withdrawal of the bolt when the same ispulled back.

Assuming that the gun is closed and cocked with the trigger in theposition in which it is shown in Fig. 1, it is apparent that when thetrigger is pulled back in the ordinary manner by its finger-bow, the cam26 upon its upper edgewill rock upon the lower face of the bolt 22 so asto overcome the tension of the sear-spring 25 and depress the sear 12 tothe extent required for disengaging its nose 18 from the notch 20 of thefiring-pin 21 which will thus be allowed to spring forward. Thisfunction of the trig er in releasing the firing-pin is not solel ydischarged by the cam '26, but is 1n part due to the action of the rearportion of the upper edge of the trigger. The customary pull upon thefinger-bow 3 at the lower end of the trigger for releasing thefiring-pin is not suflicient to bring the outer face of the finger-bowinto engagement with the rear wall of the slot 4: in the plate 5 of thetwo-part trigger guard. However, if the trigger is pulled rearwardbeyond what is necessary for releasing the firing mechanism of the gun,the point 9 upon the outer face of the finger-bow 3 is caused to engagewith the point 10 of the plate 5, after which the trigger will both rockand slide upon the point 10 with the effect of still further depressingthe sear-lug 17 and to such an extent as to clear it entirely from thesear clearance slot 27 in the bolt 22 and hence from the forward orbolt-stop wall 28 of the said slot. With the sear thus depressed, thebolt may readily be withdrawn from the gun, so as to permit the chamberand bore of the barrel, (which is not shown) to be cleaned from thebreech-end of the barrel.

It thus appears that under my improvement the upper end of the triggeris used for operating the firing-pin-release mechanism of the gun, whileits lower end is utilized for operating the bolt-releasing mechanismthereof. In another View, during the customary initial pulling of thetrigger, its upper end acts as a cam for r leasing the firing-pin, whileduring the sec ondary or excess pulling of the trigger, its lower endacts as a cam for withdrawing the bolt-stop mechanism of the gun. In onecase, the upper portion of the trigger is the fulcrum, and in the othercase the lower portion of the trigger is the fulcrum. These results aresecured, not somuch by novelty of form as by an appropriate positioningand proportioning of the parts, so as to adapt them to function in themanner de scribed, and without the addition of any auxiliaries.

1. A bolt-action gun having a bolt, a combined bolt-stop and sear, afiring-pinrelease mechanism and a trigger, the lower portion of thetrigger being shaped and positioned to engage on an excess pull of thetrigger with a fixed portion of the gun to operate the combinedbolt-stop and sear to permit the bolt to be removed from the gun.

2. bolt-action gun having a bolt, a combined bolt-stop and sear, afiring-pinrelease mechanism, and a trigger the upper portion of whichcoacts with the said firing-pin mechanism and the lower portion of whichis shaped and positioned to coact on an excess pull of the trigger witha fixed portion of the gun to operate the said combined bolt-stop andsear preparatory to the withdrawal of the bolt from the gun.

3. A bolt-action gun having a receiver, a bolt located therein, acombined bolt-stop and sear, a firing-pin-release mechanism, a triggerguard, and a trigger the upper end of which coacts with the lower faceof the bolt for releasing the firing-pin-release mechanism and the lowerportion of which is shaped and positioned to coact with the triggerguard for retracting the combined bolt-stop and sear to permit theremoval of the bolt from the receiver.

4. In a bolt-action gun, the combination with the receiver thereof, of abolt, a firingpin, a sear co-acting with the firing-pin to fire the gunand with the bolt to prevent the withdrawal thereof from the gun, atrigger pivotally mounted in the sear, and a two-piece trigger-guardthrough which the finger-bow of the trigger projects downwardly, thetrigger acting at its upper end to retract the sear from engagement withthe firing-pin, and the finger-bow of the trigger co-acting with one ofthe two parts of the trigger-guard for retracting the sear into positionfor releasing the bolt to permit the withdrawal thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS C. JOHNSON.

